VH1 orders reality series starring Pepa, Chilli and 'The Entertainer'

By Christopher Rocchio, 06/30/2009

VH1 announced it has ordered three new romance-themed reality series starring former Salt 'n' Pepa member Sandra "Pepa" Denton, former TLC member Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, and former I Love New York and I Love Money participant Frank "The Entertainer" Moresco.

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"No matter if you're a Grammy Award winning artist, a film actor or a TV reality star with millions of loyal fans, we all share the same desires of the human experience -- to succeed, to love, and to live our lives to their fullest potential," said VH1 programming executive Jeff Olde.

"VH1 has generated a lot of buzz over the years by evolving from an outlet that commented on pop culture to a brand that creates it. With these projects, we're continuing to evolve, building on our core storytelling expertise to delve deeper into personalities and issues that connect with millions of our viewers."

The untitled project starring Pepa will follow half of the former rap duo as she begins to search for a romantic relationship after years of living a celibate life. Pepa will be on the prowl with her three closest girlfriends, all of whom are also single and searching for love.

VH1 has ordered eight half-hour episodes of the untitled project, which is slated to premiere next year. The series is executive produced by Banks Tarver and Ken Druckerman for Left/Right, Inc..

Pepa is no stranger to VH1 reality shows, as she previously appeared as a The Surreal Life fifth-season houseguest in 2005 and also competed on The Surreal Life: Fame Games in 2007.

In addition, she also starred alongside Cheryl "Salt" James on VH1's The Salt-N-Pepa Show, which premiered in October 2007 and subsequently aired a second season early last year.

The untitled project starring Chilli will follow the former R&B star as she decides to take control of her romantic life with the help of Brooklyn relationship expert Tionna Smalls. Throughout the series, Chilli will learn ways to overcome emotional hurdles and find the long-term romantic relationship she wants.

VH1 has ordered eight half-hour episodes of the untitled project, which is slated to premiere next year. The series is executive produced by FremantleMedia North America.

Chilli previously appeared on R U The Girl with T-Boz & Chilli, which aired on the now-defunct UPN in Summer 2005 and followed Chilli and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins as they searched for a new member of their trio following the death of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who died in a 2002 car accident.

The competition was subsequently won by Tiffany "O'so Krispie" Baker, who recorded one single with Chilli and T-Boz.

The Entertainer will follow Moresco, a 32-year-old from Congers, NY, as he whittles down "a bevy of naive hopefuls" for the opportunity to find love and -- more importantly -- finally move-out of his parents' basement.

VH1 has ordered 10 one-hour episodes of The Entertainer, which is slated to premiere next year. The series is executive produced by Cris Abrego, Mark Cronin and Ben Samek for 51 Minds.

Moresco first appeared as a suitor on I Love New York's Fall 2007 second season and is mostly remembered for his toe-sucking fetish and being rejected by Tiffany "New York" Pollard because he was a "loser" who still lived with his parents.

He subsequently competed on I Love Money's first and second seasons, however he failed to win either.